THE GREAT GATSBY—SCAVENGER HUNT
Follow the directions given for each section. Answer thoroughly in complete
sentences. Do not just copy information from the websites—paraphrase in your own
words. If a website is not listed, please just “google” the key words from the question
to find an appropriate site.
1. F. Scott Fitzgerald: Skim the biography of the author of The Great Gatsby.
List five major events in Fitzgerald’s life that influenced his writing.
Website: http://www.sc.edu/fitzgerald/biography.html
2. Post World War I: List the dominant postwar American attitudes and the
major movements of the 1920s. Pay close attention to the attitudes of the “Lost
Generation” and the “Prosperity & Consumerism” movement.
Website: http://home.earthlink.net/~gfeldmeth/lec.1920s.html
3. What right did women gain from the passage of the 19th Amendment?
4. The Roaring Twenties: List three changes that occurred in 1922 (the year in
which the novel is set). Don’t just pick the first three. Look through the whole
list and find the three that interest you the most.
Website: http://www.brainyhistory.com/years/1922.html
5. What exactly does the 18th amendment abolish? What was the result?
6. What is a Speakeasy?
Websites: http://www.huffenglish.com/gatsby/speakeasies.html (view for pictures),
http://alliance.ed.uiuc.edu/cdrom/Hononegah/prohibition/speakeasies-s.htm (view for
information)
Based on the information you have already collected from previous questions,
why do you think Speakeasies popped up across the country?
7. Organized Crime and Arnold Rothstein: Briefly explain what role organized
crime played during the 1920’s.
Website: http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h1596.html
List three elements of Rothstein’s character that interest you. Explain why.
Website: http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/blacksox/rothsteinbio.html
8. Flappers: Read the first five paragraphs of the article about “Flapper Jane.”
According to the author, what are the essential elements of being a true flapper?
Website: http://www.geocities.com/flapper_culture/jane.html
9. Automobiles: Why were cars considered “the most important catalyst for
social change in the 1920’s”?
Website: http://www.huffenglish.com/gatsby/automobiles.html (view for information),
http://www.huffenglish.com/gatsby/cars.html (view for pictures)
10. 1920’s Slang: List five slang words or phrases and definitions from this site.
Website: http://www.huffenglish.com/gatsby/slang.html
Then explain why you chose the terms you did.
11. Drawing Conclusions: Based on the information you have collected from these
sites, what do you think the plot and setting of The Great Gatsby will include?
Why kinds of characters do you expect to encounter in the novel?